Snow watch continues along Montreal River

THE MONTREAL River rages near the the former coal plant clean-up site in Ironwood at noon Tuesday. The river hadn’t overflowed its banks, but sandbags had been placed along city streets in the event of flooding. Temperatures were in the 60s again Tuesday and there was still quite a bit of snow to melt in lowland areas.

IRONWOOD — A portion of Norrie Park Road washed out on Monday evening as snowmelt continued to flood some Gogebic County roadways.

The wash-out was near South Davis Road, according to an Ironwood Public Safety Department report.

Norrie Park Road had been closed earlier because of standing water as snow in the swamps from the winter season’s 208-inch accumulation melted and covered the roadway.

IPSD officers continued to monitor levels of the Montreal River near Norrie Park. The river appeared to crest and was flowing against the bottom of the Dupont bridge late Monday night at about the same time a Gogebic County flood emergency was declared.

Residents of Ironwood’s Silver, Hemlock and Cedar streets — in an area called the Flats — were notified of the rising water in the Montreal River and sandbags were trucked in and piled near the Silver Street bridge as a precautionary measure.

One Norrie Park Road resident, an elderly woman, was given a ride to higher ground around 11 p.m. Monday. County emergency director Jim Loeper had requested she be assisted by officers because the road near her home was under water. She was staying at a West Michigan Avenue residence until she could return home.

Xcel Energy officials advised the IPSD that they had 12 customers in the Flats area who could possibly be affected by flooding. They said they would turn off the gas to the residences near 415 Cedar St. if the water got too high.

On the Wisconsin side of the Montreal, the city of Hurley blocked off the end of Maple Street in the area of the trestle bridge around noon Tuesday. The river was beginning to back up there in an area where some residences are close to the river banks.